Getting to know you: friends and activites in Dubai

Before I begin this post I must apologise for the SHOCKING time delay between the last post and this one... however there has been a very clear hiatus between having Rosa take care of Margaux in Portugal and Margaux starting nursery here - i.e. I have just a wee bit of time to myself that I can spend in front of a computer!

So, back to the blog itself:

The friend I mentioned in the previous post I met through Louise, a fellow Mum and Mums and Tots in Cacais. Her sister, Hannah, lives here with her husband Duncan and their daughter, Emiline, who's a couple of months older than Margaux.

Hannah and I got along famously, as did the girls. And through Hannah I discovered another playgroup which meets at Cheeky Monkeys. Splendid!

Most days since we have arrived I take Margaux somewhere to play. It's simply too hot to do anything outside, but there are a huge number of indoor soft play areas - at least one in every mall (and there's one of those on most corners) plus some other 'free standing' ones.

She's pretty good at keeping herself entertained, to be honest. She started with great trepidation at the soft play areas but now she gets immediately involved, like the old hand that she is.

Here are a couple of videos of her mucking around: The self entertainer 1 and Cheeky Monkey.

We ventured to the beach one evening with Hannah, Duncan, and Emiline. Margaux loved it, even if the water was like a sticky, salty bath.

Margaux and I also began going to a couple of Mums and Tots sessions a week, which has been great for both of us. Unlike Portugal, however, they are hosted at an indoor play area that has, in addition to two soft play areas, loads of games and rides for older kids...

Anyway, here she is at a variety of indoor play areas over the last few (!) months - some with Mums and Tots, some with Thomas and me, and some with just me:

And in case that hasn't whetted your appetite enough, here are a couple of movies: The Self Entertainer 2  (includes some non-soft play stuff) and Mini Monster (filmed at a place called Mini Monsters...) 

It was through accidentally attending a coffee morning instead of Mums and Tots one day that I had the fortune of meeting Lindsay, a bubbly Canadian with a very classy sense of style. She and I hit it off and it only seems right to mention her in this post, even though I have no photos of her. Actually, that's a lie. In the above collage she is seated behind Margaux in the photos where M is playing with play-dough... I just have no photos of her face!

Regardless, she and I have spent some lovely days together, and two memorable dinners - one hosted by Thomas and me, and the other by Lindsay and her husband, Matt. If I get hold of a photo of us together I will be sure to include it somewhere!

Right now, though, it's time to introduce you to our apartment!